Abstract: A synchronous serial bus with timing information implemented in the bus standard protocol is provided for a bi-directional serial multi-channel data interchange between locally dedicated measuring instruments in a distributed configuration and/or with a data processing unit. This provides synchronized interchange of data between the instruments wherein each instrument is provided with an allocated controller. The invention permits one to employ a simple, preferably standardized, bus protocol. Wiring structure is considerably simplified for a complex multi-sensor system.